


Love is a Decision

by shiiki



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-02-26
Updated: 2009-02-26
Packaged: 2019-03-28 04:23:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13896177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shiiki/pseuds/shiiki
Summary: Love is a decision, not an emotion.





	Love is a Decision

**Author's Note:**

> I really have to thank [](https://rougered.livejournal.com/profile)[rougered](https://rougered.livejournal.com/) for her gorgeous prompt: [Molly gen with the prompt line in the summary](http://shiiki.livejournal.com/208654.html?thread=1599246#t1599246).

There are times when Molly feels pensive and thinks about her life and the path she has chosen. Not many people remember the girl she once was: Molly Prewett, champion of the Hogwarts Duelling Club, Gryffindor prefect and Head Girl. However none of her these titles mattered to her as much as Arthur Weasley and the idea of starting a family with him did. Her friends thought her mad, 'carried away by love', as though love were some silly emotion taking over her good sense.

It was simple, really: she weighed her options and made a decision. To her it's just common sense to pick the choice you can't live without, which is what she did. She's never regretted choosing the way she did.

Especially not now, with her extended family all around her. The Weasleys gravitate to The Burrow in the summer when Hogwarts is out of session. Molly revels in having them all together, eating, flying, laughing, shouting ... she puts up a token protest at their excesses but really, The Burrow doesn't seem right without half a dozen children swarming around. It makes her exceptionally proud to know that her grandchildren adore being there.

People wonder what makes the Weasleys so close when there are so many of them. If they really wanted to listen, Molly could tell them that it's a conscious decision every member of the family eventually comes to make: to choose love.

+++

Young Victoire announced her engagement at the first Weasley dinner of the summer. Molly was flabbergasted. It wasn't that she disliked Teddy -- he was a lovely boy, and practically a member of the family already. Everyone was delighted that the pair had ended up together; Molly was no exception.

They were so _young_ , though. Victoire was barely out of school, Teddy only newly established in his job at the Ministry. Even if they assured everyone that they would have enough to live on -- Teddy had a sizeable nest egg put away for him thanks to Harry and the Black Gringotts vault -- it still seemed a bit premature for them to be hurrying into marriage. They had all their lives ahead of them. What was the rush?

Molly had tried not to let her inner disapproval show, especially since everyone was so excited over the news. However, Victoire, who was a remarkably astute young lady, must have sensed it. After dinner, she approached Molly in private.

'Granny Molly,' she said carefully, 'are you unhappy with our news?'

Molly looked at her and in that moment, her resemblance to Bill was striking.

\---  
_  
'Mum, you don't seem very happy about Fleur and me.'_

_'It's all so quick, Bill dear. Are you sure you've thought this through?'_

_'Absolutely. I love Fleur. You will too, if you just give her a chance. She's strong and brave and ... she's perfect for me.'_

_'I'm sure she is. But even so, you don't have to rush to get married. Take a bit of time, get to know each other better ...'_

_Bill is silent for a while. When he speaks again, his voice is quiet and firm. 'We already know this is what we want.'_  
  
\---

'It's just very ... sudden, love.'

'I know. I'm sorry to spring it on everyone. But I've known Teddy forever. I love him. And he loves me.' The way she said it was slow and steady -- none of the shyness of the initial stages of a relationship. 'There will never be anyone else for us.'

Molly thought of her eldest son and his engagement, which had seemed to be a whirlwind affair, but had resulted in a strong, enduring marriage to a loving, faithful wife. She thought of herself, eloping almost right out of Hogwarts to the man she loved, with whom she had created a wonderful family.

And now the eldest grandchild in the family was ready to do the same with a young man whom she loved and trusted.

Put in that light, Molly felt her objections wash away. She embraced Victoire warmly.

'I understand, love. I do, now. And I'm happy for you.'

Perhaps it wasn't so much of a rush to get married as a realisation that they had been made for their lovers and a decision made early to keep their other halves in their lives forever.

+++

'Granny?' Twelve-year-old Lily perched her arms on Molly's rocking chair.

'What is it, dear?' Molly wondered why Lily wasn't outside with the other children, who had claimed the orchard earlier for a Quidditch scrimmage.

'I was wondering if you could ... teachmetoknit.' The last few words came out in a jumble. Molly was sure she hadn't heard properly.

'I'm sorry dear, what was that again?'

Lily took a deep breath. 'I want to learn how to knit.'

\---

_'Mum?' Ginny twists her hands nervously in her lap._

_'What is it, dear?' Molly asks absently, her hands currently occupied with her knitting._

_'I want to make a jumper, too.'_

_'That's lovely. Which of the boys would you like to make it for? I've already finished your father's and the twins' ... I know, why don't you help with Charlie's, and then you can give it to him yourself when we visit him—'_

_'Mu-um,' Ginny protests. 'I don't want to make a jumper for Charlie, I want to make one for ...' Her hands start fidgeting again. She changes tack. 'Ron says Harry Potter lives with Muggles who won't give him presents.'_  
  
\---

Molly chuckled at the memory. Ginny, in that year before everything started happening, had been so fascinated by Ron's letters, in which _Harry Potter_ featured regularly. It had been her idea to knit him a jumper to send with the fudge Molly had prepared as a present.

'Can you teach me, Granny?' asked Lily.

'Of course, Lily dear. What brought this on, though?'

'Well, I wanted to make a jumper for a ... friend,' she said. Molly pretended not to notice the pause before 'friend'. Or the way Lily suddenly became very interested in her fingernails. 'His birthday's when school starts.'

'I see,' said Molly. 'Now, I've a basket of wool and my knitting needles up in the attic ...'

Lily flung her arms around Molly's neck and planted a kiss on her cheek. ' _Thank_ you, Granny; you're the best Granny in the _world_! I'll go get them right away!' She leapt up before Molly could suggest Summoning it. Molly had to laugh at her granddaughter's enthusiasm.

It didn't take long for Lily to come down with the knitting things. Soon she was settled next to Molly's rocking chair, listening attentively to Molly's explanation of the different stitches. Lily was a smart girl and she seemed to pick it up quickly. Molly cast on for her and let her carry on for a while.

When the better part of an hour had gone by, however, it seemed as though Lily was regretting the idea. She kept casting wistful glances out the window, sighing, and frowning with increasing frustration at her knitting. At last, her patience ran out.

'It's just so complicated!' she wailed. 'I've tried and tried but it looks like a _mess_!'

'I know it's not as easy as it seems.'

'I hate this,' said Lily petulantly.

'Do you know, when I first learned to knit, I hated it, too?'

Lily gaped. 'But you make us a jumper every Christmas!'

'Yes,' said Molly. She smiled, thinking of the nineteen-year-old girl she had been, newly-wed and short on Galleons, her love for Arthur making her return to the impossible knitting she was utterly fed up with. 'I'd decided to try knitting because I wanted to have a present ready for your granddad and we couldn't afford anything store-bought. My first attempt probably looked something like that.'

'Couldn't you use magic?'

'It's not that simple. The spell requires you to teach the needles the right way -- and to do that, you need to know how to do it yourself. I had to struggle through the basics, just as you are.'

'But you finished yours.'

'I did. And Granddad was delighted. He said it made him feel extra special to have a gift I'd put all my heart into.'

'Wow,' said Lily. She turned this over in her head for a while. Then she held up her mangled wool and eyed it critically. 'I think I did something wrong here.'

Molly looked at the spot where she pointed. 'I'm afraid you'll have to unravel it and start over from there.'

Lily sighed but squared her shoulders and pulled at the loose end.

She would finish it, Molly knew. Just as Molly had finished that first jumper for Arthur ... and the countless others which had followed. She thought of those jumpers, each one carefully crafted with love, and knew she'd made the right decision from the start.

+++

Molly found her namesake in the kitchen, poring over a book of recipes. Young Molly -- better known as Polly among her friends and family, to avoid confusion -- had a wishful look on her face as her finger traced over the pages of the book.

'Any good ideas for dinner?' Molly asked.

Polly jumped. 'Granny! I didn't hear you come in.' She glanced guiltily at the book on the table. 'I know Dad says no books at the kitchen table, but it's a _cook_ book, so I thought ...'

'That's perfectly all right, dear. Is there anything special you fancy?'

'Not really ... everything you cook is first-rate, anyway.'

Molly felt a swell of pride at her granddaughter's words. 'Thank you, Polly. Anyway, it's time I started dinner. Your cousins will be taking the house apart if I don't have food ready when they get in.'

A low stomach growl indicated that the cousins weren't the only hungry ones. Molly laughed at Polly's blush.

'Why don't you give me a hand? You can be my taste-tester, too.'

Polly's face lit up. 'Can I? I'd love to!'

'Let's get started, then.'

\---

_'Percy, what've I told you about books at the table?'_

_'Mu-um, can't I ...'_

_'Take it up to your room, dear, I have to get started with dinner.'_

_Percy trudges out with his book. Molly busies herself around the kitchen, not realising he's come back until she's Summoning the potatoes and one nearly hits him._

_'Goodness, Percy, I didn't hear you come in!'_

_'Sorry, Mum, I just wanted to ...' He shrugs, but a low rumble from his stomach gives his motive away. The backs of his ears go red._

_Molly fights the urge to laugh. 'Well, since you're here, you can make yourself useful. I'll let you taste-test if you'll be assistant chef -- how's that sound?'_  
  
\---

Like her father before her, Polly was a meticulous and cautious helper. With an assistant, Molly's dinner preparations went quicker than usual. Soon the house was full of the tantalising smell of chicken, corn, and baked potatoes.

'Thank you, dear, you've been a great help,' said Molly.

Polly's face glowed. 'I had fun,' she said. 'I like cooking.'

'It's useful knowledge,' agreed Molly. 'Do you know, I had all of my sons -- and your Aunt Ginny, too, of course -- in here at some point of time, helping out the way you did?'

She remembered telling Percy that he'd be thankful for knowing how to cook when he grew up. He'd wrinkled his nose and said that he wouldn't mind staying at The Burrow as long as it meant he could eat her cooking forever. The same frank statement that had earned him an extra sausage that day became a taunting memory to Molly later when he walked out on them.

But Percy had come to his senses and returned, and now here she was, passing on the same knowledge to Percy's daughter.

It was more than just skills she passed on, after all. In every lesson, she had taught her children to love -- and in the end, that was what had driven their decisions.

+++

People often say that love is a feeling, an emotion that consumes you and guides you along. Molly knows that that's not quite right. As she holds Arthur's hand and smiles at her large, wonderful family, she can't help thinking of everything she's ever done that's led to her being blessed with them. And it is every tiny sacrifice, each little decision made -- these, she thinks, are the building blocks of the ties that bind them together as a family.

 _This_ is what love is.


End file.
